Muscle mass is the amount of muscle tissue in your body. In this post we are going to answer is high muscle mass good for health. Muscle mass is important for many aspects of your health, including:
- Physical function: Muscles help you move, maintain your balance, and perform everyday activities. As you age, you naturally lose muscle mass, which will lead to decreased physical function. Having high muscle mass can help one stay active and independent as age increases.
- Metabolism: Muscle tissue burns calories even at rest. This means that people with high muscle mass have a higher metabolism and tend to burn more calories throughout the day. This can help with weight loss and weight management.
- Bone health: Muscles help to support your bones and prevent them from becoming weak and brittle. Having high muscle mass can help to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
- Immunity: Muscle tissue produces proteins that help to fight off infection. Having high muscle mass can help to boost your immune system and protect you from disease.
- Mental health: Exercise, including strength training, has been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Having high muscle mass can help you maintain an active lifestyle, which can have a positive impact on your mental health.
How Much Muscle Mass Is Good?
The amount of muscle mass that is considered “good” for your health varies depending on your age, sex, and activity level. However, in general, people should aim for a body fat percentage of 10-30% for men and 15-35% for women. This means that you should have 70-90% of your body weight as lean muscle mass.
If you are not sure how much muscle mass you have, you can talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian. They can help you calculate your body fat percentage and determine is high muscle mass good for your health.
How to Increase Muscle Mass
If you want to increase your muscle mass, you need to strength train. Strength training is any type of exercise that helps you to build muscle and strength. There are many different types of strength training exercises, including:
- Weight lifting: This is the most common type of strength training. It involves lifting weights to overload your muscles and force them to grow.
- Bodyweight exercises: These exercises use your own body weight as resistance. Examples of bodyweight exercises include push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.
- Resistance bands: These are elastic bands that you can use to provide resistance for strength training exercises.
No matter what type of strength training you choose, it is important to start slowly and gradually increase the weight or resistance as you get stronger. You should also focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. This will help you to build muscle more efficiently.
In addition to strength training, you also need to eat a healthy diet that is high in protein. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Aim to eat 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.
Conclusion
High muscle mass is good for health. It can help to maintain physical function, improve metabolism, boost bone health, strengthen your immune system, and improve mental health. If you want to increase muscle mass, you need to strength train and eat a healthy diet.
